Does anyone know how to use Labview or teststand to communicate with MPLAB ICD3 to call a file to program a PIC18f4580 microchip?

[miggins]

Hi, I have a DUT which is manually tested with many different types of debuggers and SW applications. I have been given the job of automating this using teststand and labview. I can automate a lot of it quite easily but i have hit a hurdle. The manual measurement currently uses MPLAB SW with an MPLAB ICD3 to program the PIC. It does this by simply calling a file and telling the SW to program. This is then verified by a verify complete message in the SW. I am pretty sure the MPLAB ICD3 kit is connected to the host PC using RS232.

Is there a relatively simple way of communicating with this ICD3 device/MPLAB SW to get it to do the above?

Any suggestions or pointers welcome but the more detail the better. Cheers

[Wayne.C]

miggins,

Does the ICD3 include command line control?  Have used this method with older Microchip programmers.  LV code just pops open the command prompt and executes a line of code.